Sheffield Wednesday are being marked out as promotion contenders in changing rooms throughout the Championship as well as their own, according to midfielder Adam Reach.

The former Middlesbrough man, who has featured in all five of the Owls’ Championship outings this season, was speaking ahead of the visit of QPR this weekend and described a harmony in a squad that was ‘ready to compete’ at the top of the division.

Wednesday have taken nine points from those five games so far and are yet to concede a goal at home in the league.

Reach says this is down to the collective attitude of the players, as well as strength in depth he suggested the club haven’t had in previous years.

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“We’ve developed a squad now that’s ready to compete at the top of the Championship,” he said.

“We’ve got at least two players for every position in the team, which you need. That can only benefit us. We’ve got competition now and if you’ve got a couple of below average games then you’re in danger of losing your shirt and that keeps everyone going.”

That competition has been bolstered by the additions of Kadeem Harris and Jacob Murphy on the wings, David Bates, Julian Borner and Moses Odubajo in defence and midfielder Massimo Luongo, who could feature against his old team this weekend after an eye-catching display at the New York Stadium.

Reach said: “The players that we’ve brought in are all footballing players but we’ve also brought in guys that have good fight about them and a good mentality that can go out there and scrap as well.

Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Adam Reach (right) believes the club can compete at the top end of the Championship this season.

“With Kadeem and Jacob we’ve brought in pace which is something the squad has been lacking in previous seasons, but first and foremost they’re all good guys as well. They’re all team players, they’re not out there for their own agenda.

“They’ve all worked hard since they came in, they’ve settled in well, they’ve been friendly with everyone and sometimes that’s the most important thing when you’re building a squad that wants to get out of this division.

“You need quality, but you also need players that are willing to work hard for the team. We’ve got that in all of them.”

It’s not only in their own changing room that Wednesday are being marked out as one of the division’s top outfits, says Reach. Asked about Preston’s tactic of man-marking playmaker Barry Bannan last weekend, the 26-year-old suggested the stifling tactic proved what opposition managers thought of their chances.

“It’s frustrating when teams do that [man mark Bannan], but we’re going to take it as a compliment… That marks us down as a good team and a threat.

“Barry and the players are good enough to beat that - they might man mark Baz but we’ve got other players who can be match winners as well.”

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